Applications for Rick Bonnell Memorial Scholarship now being accepted
The Charlotte Hornets Foundation announced Wednesday the return of the Rick Bonnell Memorial Scholarship for a second year.
Beginning Wednesday, applications for the $10,000 scholarship are being accepted. Any journalism student enrolled at a college or university in North Carolina is eligible, and they can apply at hornets.com through Oct. 28.
A winner will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes representatives from the Hornets, Bonnell’s children Jack and Claire, and his former co-workers at The Charlotte Observer.
“We are so very appreciative that the Charlotte Hornets are continuing to offer this scholarship in honor of our friend and colleague, Rick Bonnell,” interim Observer Sports Editor Justin Pelletier said. “Rick loved helping young journalists, and he loved learning from them, as well. Through this generous award, the Hornets are affording another member of the next generation of sports journalists the opportunity to reach their goals. I have no doubt Rick would be proud to see this become part of his legacy.”
Created a year ago, the scholarship is just one of the ways the Hornets are honoring Bonnell and celebrating the impression the longtime Hornets beat writer left with the organization, the Observer’s readers and the Charlotte fans everywhere,
Bonnell covered the NBA in Charlotte for more than 30 years before he died last year at age 63. He began writing about the team in its inaugural season in 1988-89, and continued through the 2020-21 season.
This year’s recipient will join inaugural winner Noah Monroe of Concord, N.C. Monroe, a pediatric cancer survivor, is a junior studying at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and is a senior writer for The Daily Tar Heel.
“The Hornets are humbled to commemorate the life and legacy of Rick Bonnell through this annual memorial scholarship,” Hornets team president and vice chairman Fred Whitfield said. “Rick shared a true passion for assisting and mentoring young reporters throughout his career at the Charlotte Observer. The Rick Bonnell Memorial Scholarship is our way of assisting students as they look to become the next generation of journalists.”
This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 1:31 PM.
